Is Australia a Racist Country?

So before I even begin to tackle this sensitive subject, let me give you a little context behind the purpose of this article.

Today the federal government said the Indian media is unlikely to show restraint when reporting on alleged racism in Australia. India’s foreign ministry has called on its media to exercise restraint when reporting on recent attacks on Indians in Australia.

The call follows media reports that suggest the stabbing death of Nitin Garg in Melbourne on January 2 and Saturday’s attack on Jaspreet Singh, who suffered burns after being allegedly set alight, were racially motivated.

So there we have it, more attacks on Indian students but are they racially motivated?

Possibly.

Is Australia a Racist country?

Absolutely not!

I’ve written in the past about the small numbers of Aussies who appear to have a distinctive dislike for the local Aboriginal communities.

Unfortunately this appears to be a generation thing more than anything else. If you travel to any large Australian CBD, you won’t have to travel to far before you happen across members of the Aboriginal community, sometimes drinking or worst still, sniffing petrol or glue.

Aborigines that you’ll find in most city centres are not a representation of the Aboriginal people as a whole. It’s unfortunate therefore that these underprivileged folks are the ones that most city dwelling Australians will identify as being a ‘typical Aborigine’. They’re not doing much for the PR of their native people, that’s for sure.

Now back to my old home, the UK. Having lived in the UK for the first 30-odd years of my life, I think I can confidently say that I’ve acquired a reasonable level of experience living in a country which adopts a pretty sensible attitude to multiculturalism. Spending my life growing up in Bradford I found myself in one of the UK’s ‘hotspots’ for Indian and Pakistani families and in general everyone got on pretty well.

Politically though; the UK is not the most welcoming of countries. High profile political groups such as the British National Party (BNP) see too that. To give you an idea of why, I’ll give you a little background.

The BHP is a far-right political party formed as a splinter group of the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982.

At its founding, the BNP was explicitly racist. In October 1990, the BNP was described by the European Parliament’s committee on racism and xenophobia as an “openly Nazi party … whose leadership have serious criminal convictions”.

When asked in 1993 if the BNP was racist, its deputy leader Richard Edmonds said, “We are 100 per cent racist, yes”. Founder John Tyndall proclaimed that “Mein Kampf is my bible”. When Nick Griffin became chairman in 1999, the party began to change its stance with regard to racial issues. Griffin claims to have repudiated racism, instead espousing what he calls “ethno-nationalism”. He claims that his core ideology is “concern for the well-being of the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish ethnic nations that compose the United Kingdom”.

The BNP requires that all members must be members of the “Indigenous Caucasian” racial group. The party does not regard non-white people as being British, even if they have been born in the UK and are naturalised British citizens. Instead, Griffin has stated that “non-Europeans who stay”, while protected by British law, “will be regarded as permanent guests”. Not very British is it and the scary thing is, in the last election over 20,000 Brits voted to try and get these guys into power.

It’s not very British is it?

I guess the point I’m making is this. There are countries out there in the world (Britain included) that has a significantly worse track record than Australia. To a certain extent it’s almost accepted to the point where scuffles (or worse) don’t even make it into the local papers, let alone gain worldwide attention.

I’ve been living in Australia now for over three years. Prior to moving to Australia I’d travelled to every single continent around the world and I can honestly say that I have yet to visit a country whose people are as welcoming as the Aussies.

Violence against Indian Students is shocking because it doesn’t normally happen. As it doesn’t normally happen then the stories become big ‘news’ and the media jump onto these news stories because it helps sell newspapers!

Some of the stories I’ve read recently are just plain silly though. Take this article titled “Students think twice to go to Australia” where the story centres around a nervous Indian Student called Neha.

Neha it seems has to live life disguised as ‘An Australian’. Why? To keep her safe from the racial attacks of course.

The story goes onto say:

“Neha’s mother, Soni has a reason to be scared. She agreed to get a blonde look for Neha to make her resemble an Australian. She now spends huge money to stay connected to her daughter in Melbourne by calling her almost every day. She said: “Neha over the phone told that this time, one needs to be extra cautious”

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52 Comments

I do think Australia seemed tolerant on the “surface”. However, it’s mostly an illusion. I studied in melbourne for 3 years in a good university because in order for me to gain my bachelors degree, I have to. I do appreciate the opportunity I had however, I was pretty shocked by the constant racism I faced throughout my student life there in melbourne. I am from a south-east asian nation and it is common for us to go abroad for studies and Australia is one of the popular choices though the fees aren’t cheap either. And in melbourne no student concessions are given to international student while the state of Victoria earn more than 80million a year based solely on foreign student fees.

While in Melbourne, first night I arrived, I went out with a few new found friends to a nearby cinema and while we were walking home from cinema, stopping at a traffic light, a car pulled up and soon, the window rolled down and an egg was thrown at my friend and it hit his leg, because of the velocity, his leg gas a bruise. I was so shocked and he told me that it is common in melbourne as He has been attacked in this way before. I had a female friend, who one early morning was waiting for trams to school and had 2 white aussies walking pass and saw her and shouted “go back to asia!!”.

My experiences were extensive too as I worked many part time jobs to support myself. II used to work at a cafe in melbourne on Lygon Street and has these 3 aussie white girls in their teens, often came to mock me in public. They would enter the store and asked me to make them sandwiches and while I was doing it, they would start to mock me and said something rude and started laughing and then said “oh, we dont need the sandwich anymore” and walked off. Every so often they would come and ask for something and walked out of the store. I just ignored. Many times, I walked into fashion store and was given the “look”. If ur white, the salesgirl would be very friendly towards you but if you’re asian, forget it, the worst treatment ever. And they will look at you in a way where they would assume you’re just there to browse and probably won’t have money to buy anything.

I also had a very bad experience in Queensland while backpacking with my then bf (he’s white scottish). We were walking on the street like any normal couple, holding hands and from afar i noticed this family of white aussies were walking toward us. A mother, a daughter and a father. I usually wouldn’t feel awkward but the looks on their faces made me feel weird and I knew something was amiss. And I was right, as they walked pass me and my ex, first the mother chuckled in disgust and then the daughter did the . They did that while looking at me coz they saw I was with a white bf. And then the mother said it aloud “what a disgusting slut!!”. I was so shocked, my ex didn’t hear it, and me not wanting any confrontation didn’t tell him till hours later. I felt insulted but I knew it was common.

Australia is a nice place to live and work but racism is very much alive there. I know it exists everywhere but as someone mentioned above, if you’re white, it is easier for you to blend in.

I feel we need our own unique national flag representing a huge and different landmass totally surrounded by the seas. The ‘coat of arms’ is pretty accurate. This would greatly help the national psyche. New Zealand could also have their own unique national flag. The Union Jack really belongs in the U.K.

The only country students should go to study is USA, USA and USA. I am an asian studying in australia from 3 years. I study and work legally within 20 hrs/week boundry, may be 15 hrs a week, cause i dont get time to work, because of assignments. I am doing masters. I am fortunate to have wife and family to support me financially and in tough times. But god knows, how I have been through the racists. I have been bullied quite a lot. I tolerated, fight back and what not. But the work culture doesnot support the victim. it supports best tax payers (the employers and managers). law is written only, not practiced, and if practiced, it will be only for australians, not for international students. I am working legally, studying hard to get distinction. but, i am living in a hell. only country, i insist again to study is USA, apart from your country.
Hard to get visa, but Good things in USA:
1. You will get scholarship,
2. It supports multi culture,
3. Getting job in your field is hard, but not close to impossible like other countries, including australia
(in australia, you will end up doing jobs in “Cleaning”, “Kitchen Hand”, “Wait staff”, “Car wash”, “Security”, “Petrol station (if you get lucky)”, “Assistant in Nursing”, “Housekeeping”, “Luandry”, “Departmental store”, “Fast Foods (Below 21 years)” etc.
4. US universities are the best in the world. Almost all of them. only 4 top uni in australia ranks in top 400.
5. You will be bullied. whether you work in cash jobs (its natural) or you work legally in god jobs.

But all australian are not bad. You can’t blame them straight away. But the problem students are facing because of :
1. Employers being cruel to students and not obeying the law properly,
2. Students being quite for bullying,
3. And if authorities are reached, by students, authorities like “Fair work”, “Police” etc wont even touch the employers for international students.

Hope in near future, people will understand their rights and responsibilities:
1. as a host country’s citizens,
2. as international students,
3. as host country’s authorities
and
4. as a host country’s employers to international students

[Note: International students need to feel welcome and love, not hatred and cruelty. ]

I want to correct error in number 5 :
I meant to say :
5. In USA, you will not be bullied. I have not heard any unpleasant situations in US (from my friends and relatives working and studying there). But in australia, whether you work in cash jobs (its natural, its illegal and employers will get advantage of you.) or you work legally in good jobs ( i wonder why?).

I was born in & grew up in Australia and my life was a living hell, being that I am a non- white person. I have enough stories of my experiences with white australians to write a book on it, and those same white australians are the ones that are quick to say Australia is not racist… I think Australia is not racist if you are white. Australia provides safe haven for nazis from Germany and also white south africans fleeing because apartheid is over. Everyone else they say “Fuck off we’re full”. And I agree it is like living in the 1950s still. I have been called every racially derogatory name associated with my skin colour, I was bullied at school growing up because I was the only black kid and the kids that were bullying me even told me that it was their PARENTS who told them to do it! I have been spat on both at school and by strangers in the street, I developed such an anxiety about living there I had to go on meds because it’s so hostile. Although I was born there I was hated by strangers because of the way I look. I moved overseas and I must say it’s much better here than there in terms of racism. Racism is everywhere in every country but the level of hostility you are subject to in Australia is like triple every other country if you have dark skin color and features.

based on what i read you guys made me scared from going there to study ,, too bad the image i once had for Australia has been shattered .. i think im going to find a university in USA ,, at least they more civilized when it come to racism . off-course there is no country in the world don’t have racism but after i researched its seem Australia is the most racist country toward every culture including Americans

I was born and have lived in Australia my whole life, and personally I think that there is subliminal racism that exists here. We coexist with people of other backgrounds with ease yet our policies on asylum seekers is atrocious. We have friends, work with and are used to people of different backgrounds being in our every-day lives and society, but somehow seem to have a certain resentment towards non-white people, or people who were not born in Australia.

It’s a shameful notion that has been passed down from the older, post-war generations who hold a lot of hate for nations that were fought against during the war. Not just that though, there is always a scapegoat–during colonial Australia, it was the Irish; during the Gold Rush in the late 1800’s, is was the Chinese; post-war, it was Italian and Greek europeans; post Vietnam war, it was Vietnamese; currently, it is people from the Middle East and India.

It really gets to me that people still say, ‘I’m not racist. I just don’t like people coming here and not accepting the Australian way of life’. There is no rule that says anyone has to accept this so-called ‘Australian way of life’. What even is that? Going to the beach? Being laid back? If Australians were as multi cultural as they say they are, then they would be accepting of all people and everything that comes with them–their background, their religion, their traditions, the colour of their skin.

More than that, what irritates me about that statment is that it excludes Aboriginal people–the very people whose land was invaded from the start of this nation ‘Australia’.

Although the media plays a big part in the portrayal of Australia as exceptionally racist (like I said, it is rather subliminal), I’ll still have to respectfull disagree. Australians are racist, but will go out of their way to ensure that they seem like they are not. You may have had a better experience as a person from England, but people of Middle Eastern or Asian background would disagree.
A lot of Australians have no concept of empathy.

Yes I am a Indian I have experienced lot of recisim in australia for 8 years yes lot of Time my dad bought a new house in Sydney castlehill that night when we sheft in it was 2am at night every one was in bed I smelt something I woke up there was a front yeard window in m bed room and I sow 4 moulims and 6 Australians at my front door they had botles of petrole in there hand they burnd m house down my mam and dad and and me got out safe but m little sister and my big brothers couldn’t came out in time :,( people still ties m at school now saying curry muchers and staff this country is a king of racism

Hi I be live that is a reference to the koo klucks klan and not everyone is that bad if its so bad in Australia than leave no one is forcing you to stay, if you don’t want to leave then don’t complain Australia tries its best to cater for everyone you can’t expect everything handed on a silver platter. YOU CAN’T BAD MOUTH AUSTRALIA BECAUSE OF A MINUET GROUP!!!!!!
Sencirly Australia is NOT RACIST!!!

I agree with you. If we observe carefully, australasia is racist. Sun is hot but we don’t say it everyday it is hot, only to a certain degree. There are things they can hide but not every thing. Assimilate with them, you’ll know.

Rabbit Proof Fence… this movie says more than enough. Australia is a seriously racist country. The Australians we knew, and went to church with in Texas are the most racist people we have ever met. Yes, even more than the uneducated white people in Texas. They are the worst. Missionaries from around the world should go to Australia and live there for years, and try to witness to those thousands of outright racist people who dare say they acknowledge God’s existence. What a joke! I love the people who actually are true history majors…just like American did the Native American Indians, the same with Europeans and the Native Australia Abor. people. No difference. But they will have their end. The future holds no child/person at all in high standings, everyone will have to be educated, useful, beneficial to earth’s survival or just rot in a cave.

Based on my personal experiences, I feel that Australia is a racist county. My parent were from Asia and I’ve lived here nearly all my life. ‘Australians’ like to think that they welcome different cultures and races, but they have a condition, ‘adopt the Australian way of life’. This is pretty much telling people not to display their cultural traditions or differences. Now how is this accepting cultural diversity?

I agree, based on my personal experience, I am white australian but have mixed children and I’ve experienced people just look at me, give me dirty looks and are very rude at times. I can’t stand Australia at all, after living in the states nothing can compare to it thats why thank god I’m moving back there soon, I feel sorry for all the non white ppl living in Australia because it is such a racist country. I believe ppl should capture their culture of their country as that is their roots from where they are from and who they are, keep your head up and keep true to yourself and your culture, don’t let no-one over here put you down as those that do are just ignorant and insecure within themselves.

I’m the same, I have three beautiful half-white Australian/half-Indian Australian children. I never realised how racist Australia could really be til I had my babes. Now I’m looking for options to move out of the country my great great grand parents settled in because I know that whatever Australians claim, they will always treat my children differently – simply because of the colour of their skin.

So cheers racists, have the country ALL to yourselves. Then you can start hating between Anglicans and Methodists and Catholics.

Wake up Australia! It is a racist country. If you have to ask, then it is. Just look at the debate about refugees & funeral costs. We are involved in destroying Iraq & Afganistan & we have little sympathy or empathy for the people affect. Only took over 200 years to apologise to our own people for crimes against humanity.Damn right it is a racist country. You think not! You are in denial. It makes me ashamed.

Yes, but we >>>DID<<< say sorry, unlike Americans and their racism towards African/Americans, or Afghanistan people to their own women. Australia is NOT a racist country, and should not be viewed as one. I don;t recall America having a female president. And that is the only reason Obama won, because his only competition was Hillary Clinton. SO America was like: "Hmmm, a black man or a woman?" Yet in Australia we have Julia Gillard. So no, Australia is NOT a racist country.

Who cares about America !! The main Argument is about Australia. We’re not living in America, we live in Australia for godness sake and you’re bringing up America. Australia is the most racist Country and if you’re sooo suprised then you better wake up and look around you. It’s either that or that you are blind or that you have not been to places that much. If you did, then you would be so surprised by what you would find out there. At least America is making progression with Racisim in their country by electing a Black male to represent their country for the first time. Yes, Australia did vote for a female prime minister but that does not change the fact that she is white and not Aboriginal. You should ask yourself when is Australia going to be a racist-free country and start giving other people form a different background a chance to make things different. Like and Aboriginal. If anything we should up to America and their prevention of stopping Racisim in the country.

There is no such such thing as a racist free country take a look at all the KKK groups running around USA murdering innocent african american people and jewish people. No country is perfect stop being narrow minded.

I have been to America several times and I have lived in the UK for 12 years- in my experience, Australia is the most racist country. Although there may not be open hostility, the racism is much more subtle. Many people subconsciously think that people are different just based on their race. I have seriously been talked to like an idiot many times since I’ve been here (like I don’t understand anything/don’t speak English) and I am pretty sure it’s just because of my race. Not only that, it’s also overly-nationalistic, not in terms of splinter parties or groups like the BNP in the UK, but everywhere. Everywhere you look all businesses are screaming -we’re australian! They don’t even give international students transport concession despite the fact they pay several times more the student fees (unlike the UK). Oh yeah, and they treat their detainees incredibly badly. People have been killing themselves and sewing their lips shut in protest in those detention centres. They’ve been going against the UN and their own courts trying to send refugees to Indonesia- sorry but this is a racist country. There is no one for those who fall out of the system to turn to either. Australia doesn’t even have a bill of rights. They have nothing to guarantee equality and humane treatment of those who fall out the system.

I admit that I don’t like the local Aboriginal communities, because a lot of them ARE very rude, obnoxious and racist themselves. I don’t hate them, and not all Aboriginals should be judged because of my town, but almost every Aboriginal I’ve met has been a racist, obnoxious, stupid asshole, and yes, a fair amount of criminals ARE Aboriginals, and unemployed. But no, Australia is NOT a racist country.

Thankyou Mark,What you have said is very intelligent and also very true. Thanks mate, there is a very small minority of Australians who are racist/small-minded..i am and my family/friends arent. We are very very proud to be Australians and don’t welcome ANY racism to our country..Im 23 (appartently the age to be against Lebs,Kooris) and ive grown up in Rural NSW, where ive seen the damage done to the Aborigine’s,..I respect there culture as they respect mine, and the way i see it..thats Australian,and always has been!! Australia’s not a racist country, just the few dickheads that call themselves “Australian”..

It is perhaps the most multicultuarally diverse country on the planet (greater than the US, UK and Canada according to the UN, where Australia has over 25% of its nation being foreign born from over 250 different cultures and 185 nationalities).

I think the Australia is racist thing is taken way out of context. And I think people continue to refer to events that happened 50-200 years ago, rather than at present.

Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are all melting pots of different nationalities.

If Australia is so racist, why do we accept all these people?

I think a lot of non-Australian people try to say Australia is racist, due to their deep jealousy at how fortunate Australia is as a nation. It is perhaps without a doubt the most livable country in the world, with the highest living standards in the world.

According to the UN, Ausralia was 2nd in the world in terms of standards of living behind Norway. So – It just proves how integrating and acceptable Australia actually is.

You must have been absent for the Cronulla riots or the Indian student killings. How fortunate for you that you could have such an outlook. I completely disagree, but it’s nice that you can look at those events and think that it shouldn’t count.

The previous generation of australia were ex-convicts from britain. Australia was just a dumping ground for those unwanted elements from Britain. So that tells the story for ruthless behaviour that exists still.

Australians have different attitude towards Asian migrants, I don’t know why? Asian migrants are playing a great role in the progress of this country.i am living in Brisbane from last five years.i always observe the behaviour of Australians,they don’t have any respect for other cultures (because they don’t know the definition of CULTURE)

I agree. I am an American living in Australia. Nice country and nice people. However, I have noticed serious racism in this country. The funny thing is that all the Australians I know go out of their way to try and demonstrate that they aren’t racist but their actions are completely in conflict to what they say.

I have seen so many acts of bullying (especially against Asians) in the workplace and bullying of females. What is it about Australian men (at least those I have met) that brings out such bullying and racist behavior? Can someone explain that?

I also find that in the workplace, the fact that I am an American is very upsetting to some people. The discrimination is subtle but it is there.

I understand that the former American CEO of Telstra was a jerk but what he said I find to be true. He stated that coming to Australia was like going back in time 30 years. There is a lot of truth to that statement in regards to the racism and discrimination against other races and cultures that I have seen.

Don’t know if that is the norm or if I have just been unlucky. Time will tell I suppose.

Believe me that is the norm. on how Aussies act, I’m an Australian thats lived in the USA for many years and wow what a difference in culture and yes Australia is 30 yrs behind in everything, they think its such a great country thats why a 300ml bottle of coke is $4 yeah okay, if I were you I’d get the heck outta here as fast as you can and get back to the real world, you’ll loose yourself over here and start thinking like them. I can only stand coming back to australia for a short period just to visit family thats it. Cant wait to get back home yes, home the greatest country of all the US of A.

I ve been living in sydney australia for the past 2 years and found people are unfriendly and do not treat asian and indian people as same as they treat white people, even if they are german, french or whatever background they are from, they tend to have some sort of grudge towards asian people. i really liked australia before i came here to study,but now the impression of australia has changed so badly. i d like to say that the world belong to everyone and everyone should be treated the same no matter what they look like or their color of their skin.

“They’re not doing much for the PR of their native people, that’s for sure” – pull your patronising head in mate, you have absolutely no idea. Your point about track records is the same liberal party line bullshit that I have been fed my entire life. You think that by doing a comparative with another western nation you can detract from the moral gravity of our racist history? Go visit some of your states rural towns, and when you find mass social dysfunction due to an inability to integrate into society (ie shepparton, victoria, 6000+ indigenous Australians, 90% unemployment), come back and tell me Australia is not a racist country.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics almost 5 million, that’s about a quarter of the population of Australia, were born outside of the country as at mid 2006. The UK top that list with just over 1.1 million and New Zealand are second with just under half a million.

Then China are third followed by Italy with, further down in descending order, Vietnam, India, Philippines, Greece, South Africa, Germany, Malaysia, Netherlands, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Serbia and Montenegro, Indonesia, United States, Poland, Fiji, Ireland and Croatia. So quite a diverse list.

I came here from the UK and I’ve been made very welcome. Yes, there may be one or two mindless racists here, show me a country that doesn’t have those. I think Aussies are among the friendliest in the world.

However you are so obviously wrong and incorrect with what you are saying, the aussies dont even like people from other states let alone other countries.

No matter how long you live there you will all ways be treated as an outsider and will all ways be looked down upon, you will be treated differently to the aussies and you WILL be paid less than the locals.

Karl, I have met literally thousands of poms and folks from other countries who love the country they now call home.

They have felt welcomed by the Aussies and have not experienced the things you refer to. The fact that many ‘Aussies’ have none Aussies as either parents or grand parents helps here.

Your comment around salaries is a dubious one. I’ve not personally found this to be the case (I probably earn more due to the skill sets I’ve brought into the country) and I’ve never met anyone over here who has found that either.

By the sounds of things you just lived in a very strange place or have been very unlucky but I respect your views all the same :)

I also have bad experience with Australian peeps both outside and inside Aussie. I notice Australians are fiercely nationalistic, brutally honest and very insensitive towards other culture. I meet some nice Aussie but the margin is very little (maybe only 10% of them)and usually the educated one and have experiences living in other peeps country.

I couldn’t agree with you more, although i have never been to Australia till date but whatever i have heard from my friends, all Indians and all who have been living there with families for more than 2-3 years is exactly the same thing what you are saying. I am landing in Sydney on the 20th of Feb and hope to get a taste of the the Aussie hospitality first hand.